Categories

An amendment to the Equality Bill, currently going through parliament, would require political parties to report every six months on the diversity of their candidate selections and to publish the information online.

Operation Black Vote’s Simon Woolley welcomed the amendment by Ann Begg MP, which he argued would hold political parities to account over their progress on BME political representation.

The Equality Bill is going through its final stages and although the Government is keen to get this important piece of legislation through parliament with little or no hold ups.

This amendment, which OBV were informed of through party sources, has broad political agreement.

OBV’s Director stated: “This aspect of the Bill will keep the political parties on their toes. They will know that every six months organisations such as ours will look over their progress or lack of it, and comment on what we find.

“This obligation to demonstrate fundamental change within their parties will in no small measure force party bosses to plan in the short, medium, and long term as to how they ensure their parties are inclusive and representative. This is something we have been arguing for a very long time.”

Ann Begg MP is vice chair to the Speakers Conference. OBV’s Director was one of the first individuals to be invited to make an oral submission.